The BAD news and the GOOD news....

 A couple of years ago...when I was 16, I decided to lay down about 4000 pounds of river rock in our backyard eliminating the need to mow a ski slope and make a more appealing environment for us. In the process I did feel a twinge in my lower back. The thing has since become a screaming hellion that has affected my ability to walk, bend, twist, and lead the formally normal life I had without pain. One surgery to widen the canal for my spinal cord failed and the second basicly gave relief for a day and left a scar which totaled my speedo modeling career, ( nightmare thought ). Sooooo,  next week I'm going under the knife to fix the problem hopefully. The intention is to fuse several vertebra with stainless steel rods and stabalize the situation. Hospital for three or four days and home recuperation for 5-6 weeks. 

From what I understand from the people I have talked to is that recovery will take a LOT of walking. With any luck it will work and the pain will be gone.Today and tomorrow ill be office organization so I can safely traverse the floor without having to dodge different hazards that presently exist. I won't be driving for a few weeks which could make me a little stir crazy I guess we will see. Hopefully I won't drive Karen to desperation wondering why she signed on with me...I can get grouchy...........

Very slow recovery

Never known for my patience the recovery road from the back surgery is slow and kind of stressful to say the least. I am walking through the kitchen to the living room to the hall then the kitchen again, I have been extending the time by two minutes a day and the total so far is 24 minutes twice a day. As I walk I consider banking the floor to turn the course into a NASCAR track but I don’t think that would fly with my wife. The pain is slowly leaving my system and in about 4 months I hopefully will be back to “normal”.

Still not driving and will have to rely on someone else for transportation....it’s like being 15 1/2 again as my license is sort of within my reach. Spring is around the corner and time to plant seeds for the butterflies - Milkweed !!! I had so much fun last summer raising the butterflies that I really am looking forward to raising many many more this summer. Compulsive I guess. I did get one cacoon for a black monarch that has yet to “hatch”. I don’t know why they take longer to “hatch” but they do. 

I have collected clear plastic containers with tops that will allow me to “harvest” the caterpillars and place them in the containers with the milkweeds to protect them from wasps that will kill them for their blood, juices, whatever they have the wasps want. 

If you look at previous recent posts you will see the journey of transition the caterpillars may to gain their wings. It’s going to be a spring of recovery and butterfly transitions !!!